Ice diving
From Free net encyclopedia
Ice diving is a type of penetration diving where the dive takes place under ice. It is a risky type of diving requiring special training.
Special training includes how to impact the underside of the surface ice if the diver's weight belt falls off for any reason and the diver ascends uncontrollably and rapidly.
Normal procedures and precautions for ice diving are:
- use chain saw to cut a hole in the ice.
- use a snow shovel to clear the snow and ice from the area.
- use a weatherproof area for the divers to suit up.
- use a diving regulator modified for cold water use that will not freeze due to cold air become colder as it decompresses in the regulator. A standard regulator can be used if the diver is trained in breathing through a free-flowing regulator and is willing to return to the surface before his or her air is depleted.
- use a dry suit, hood, gloves and possibly a full face diving mask.
- connect the diver and a tender on the surface with a rope and harness. The harness is typically put on over the dry suit but under the BC or other buoyancy device so that the diver remains tethered even if he or she must remove his or her air cylinder or buoyancy control device. The harness fits over the shoulders and around the back such that the tender on the surface can, in an emergency, haul an unconscious diver back to the hole.
- use rope signals.
- have a standby rescue, roped diver ready on the surface.
- normally only have one diver underwater at a time. Two divers are common, however, by tethering both to a "Y" connector on the single tether rope to the surface.